Clay LinkousCo-founder, Linkous Solutions · International Speaker, Executive Coach, and Facilitator / Champion of Physicians, Leadership, the Human Experience, SDOH, Vulnerable Populations, & Neurodiversity.

Decorative Pillows: The Secret to Happier Marriages? #shorts

20 Sept 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

1:02

In this short, the speaker uses a humorous anecdote about arranging decorative pillows to illustrate a broader point about relationships and collaboration. He contrasts his own habit of placing pillows where his wife wants them because he "has to" with his wife's habit of doing the same because she wants to. The story serves as a metaphor: when you create an environment where people want to work with you—by being considerate, proactive, and enjoyable to be around—cooperation and appreciation become much easier. The speaker suggests that fostering such an environment is key to smoother interactions, both in marriage and in broader teamwork contexts.

Chapters

Now the question is, when I make the bed, what do you think I do with the decorative pillows? Roll them up. You are so wrong. None of you guys have been married. So I put the decorative pillows exactly where she wants them, like exactly to the best of my ability where she wants them and like to the T, right? Now you're like, well, you told me that you were anti-decorative pillow, right? Well, here's the difference. My wife, My wife puts the decorative pillows back where she wants them because she wants to. Okay. Why do I, why do I put the decorative pillows back where they go? Because I have to. Okay. Yeah, because I have to. My life is better when I do. Okay. Now, and the reason I share this is a funny little illustration is like, the more that you can create an environment where people want to work with you, where people see you as somebody that they enjoy working with, people that they really appreciate it, all these things we talked about today are going to be way easier, right?